The Arithmancy Project
by kuroaiko2014
Summary: Blaise and Hermione are paired together for 6th Year Arithmancy due to a lack of students in the course. QLFC S4 R2 *Don't own HP*
**A/N**

 **Written for QLFC Season 4 Round 2**

 **Team: Kenmare Kestrals -Arithmancy Class**

 **Position: Beater 1**

 **Prompt: Write about someone's passion for the subject. (I chose Blaise and Hermione both. They seem like the types to want to create something new)**

 **Optional Prompts:**

 **13 (word) articulate**

 **15 (dialogue) "It happened again, what do I do?"**

 **The Arithmancy Project**

Hermione bounced on the balls of her feet in anticipation for the next class. Sixth Year Arithmancy combined all four Houses since so few students tried for a NEWT in it and she was anticipating working with one of the Hufflepuffs instead of dealing with the Ravenclaw that had been her partner last year.

"Oi! Calm down!" A cultured voice snapped out at her when she bounced a bit too much and stumbled into the person next to her.

"So-sorry!" Hermione stammered as she backed away from the green-garbed student. "I-I didn't m-mean to bump i-into you."

Dark eyes surveyed her as an eyebrow arched in amusement. "I don't think I know you," the boy drawled slowly.

"U-uhm..." Hermione trailed off, not sure how to proceed.

"Are you always this articulate, or do I just bring out the best in you?" He asked, his mirth at her discomfort seeping into his words now.

Hermione pursed her lips and crossed her arms. "I'll have you know that I am _very_ articulate." She huffed, "Rude."

The boy grinned in apology. "I beg your forgiveness then."

The door to the classroom swung open. "Enter, students!" Professor Vector's voice drifted out.

The boy gave a slight bow and motioned Hermione to go ahead of him. "After you, milady."

Hermione snorted and pulled her bag back up on her shoulder before striding into the room.

Hermione set her things out for the first Arithmancy class of the year and grinned hopefully at the blank parchment, fresh quill and ink she had gotten out for notes.

"Alright class, the person seated next to you will be your partner for the year. I hope you chose wisely," the Professor called out. "You will spend the remainder of this class period getting to know your partner and choosing a topic for your group project."

Hermione paled when she saw the boy that had been bantering with her outside seated next to her.

"Blaise Zabini, Slytherin," the boy said, offering his hand to her.

"You won't want to shake my hand," Hermione replied quietly.

Blaise shrugged. "I know who you are, Hermione Granger, if only because Draco is so vehemently _not_ your fan that it would be difficult to not know you. I tend not to take what that pompous daddy's boy says to heart. I thought that maybe you would be up for some inter-House cooperation, but if you'd just rather pass off notes when it comes time to do projects together, I can work with that."

Hermione watched Blaise with narrowed eyes. "Are you sure? You don't want to call me a m-mudb-blood?"

Blaise wrinkled his nose in distaste. "I hate that word. It is highly offensive, and if anyone would care to look at their family trees, they would see that _no one_ is as pure as they claim to be. I plan to use this year's Arithmancy project to prove my theory."

Hermione tilted her head in confusion. "Prove that no one is pure, or that everyone is pure? I always thought that going through the bloodlines of muggleborns would bring up squibs that were cast out and prove that muggleborns are just the result of the magic finally being strong enough to re-enter the bloodline."

Blaise looked at Hermione appraisingly. "Maybe we can prove both theorems with the project. We should turn in our project choice to the Professor and ask for passes to the library to get started."

* * *

The pair got along great, even going so far as to sit with each other at mealtimes, though usually Blaise was the one to change tables due to his House-mates ire towards the girl because of her blood status.

One day, near Yule, found Hermione pulling her hair in the back of the library as she stared down at the parchment in front of her. "Blaaaaise," she whined piteously as he dropped into the chair next to her. "It happened again, what do I _do_?"

Blaise looked over the parchment. "You tried switching-"

"Variable 'A' with Variable 'C'? Yes," she sighed and shifted.

"Did you try projecting it to see if any lines were switched around?"

Hermione snorted, "Of _course-_ wait. I didn't. I don't know how to do that." She scrunched up her nose and looked at Blaise. "You know the spell for that?"

Blaise pouted, "No. Vector actually doesn't really me so she won't tell me the spell."

"QUIET IN THE LIBRARY!" Madame Pince's voice rang out causing the two students to flinch.

Hermione's hand clenched in her lap. "Let's just collect our stuff and go see if she'll help us out."

Blaise smirked. "Leave her blasted books on the table. Grab your things."

The Gryffindor looked towards the front apprehensively, but hurried to follow Blaise when he grabbed her bag and started to walk away without her.

Blaise ended up bringing her to the Arithmancy classroom. He knocked on the door and Professor Vector opened it looking out into the passageway confused. "Mr. Zabini? Miss Granger? What can I do for you?"

Hermione shuffled her feet and Blaise sighed. "We wanted to see if you would look over our project for us. We are hoping that if it works right, we can sell the idea to the Unspeakables and the Ministry."

Hermione's head shot up, "Wha-"

Professor Vector nodded knowingly, cutting of Hermione. "I had seen your work in class. I was trying to come up with something like you two. Come in. Let's see if we can't turn the wizarding world on it's head."

Hermione and Blaise followed the professor and handed over the parchment with all of their equations. "Professor?" Hermione asked, "Could you show me the projection charm?"

Professor Vector grinned, " _Etiam in aeri_." The equations lifted from the parchment and hovered in the air, twisting around each other and shifting to align in proper order.

" _Etiam in aeri_?" Hermione asked.

"Roughly translated, it means 'show in the sky'," responded the professor as she walked around the projection. "Oh. I found it."

"Already?" Blaise asked, staring in awe at the teacher.

"Transposed 3 from here," she pointed, "to here."

Hermione groaned and put her face in her hands. "All of that trouble for a single number?"

Blaise grinned and ruffled the girl's hair. "Don't worry. That was part of my equation so it wasn't your fault."

"Yes, well. Now we just need to run the simulations and see what we need to do to get the potion portion done and test it."

Professor Vector smiled, "I can only hope that this will make things easier."

* * *

The last week of the school year, Hermione stood proudly over a cauldron of emerald green potion, Blaise at her side. "Time for the moment of truth," she whispered, looking over her shoulder at the Potions and Arithmancy professors. There were also two black robed Unspeakables standing near the door. She and Blaise carefully ladled two vials full of the potion and set them to the side before casting the stasis charm on the remaining potion. "I can't believe we were able to get this far in our process in less than a year!"

Blaise snorted and tweaked the Gryffindor girl's nose, "Two great minds on a single project is bound to get results faster."

Hermione turned around to the empty lab table behind her and set out a long sheet of parchment. She put the potion vial down and picked up her silver knife. She pricked her fingertip and let a single drop of blood fall into the vial. She tipped the vial over and poured it onto the parchment. Instead of staining the parchment green, the potion soaked invisibly into it before words sprang up, starting with her name at the top.

Hermione glanced over the parchment and blanched when she saw the sixth line with her three times great grandparents. "Oh Merlin," she whimpered, turning into Blaise's side.

Blaise hooked his arm around the girl and stared in shock at the parchment. "You're related to the Malfoys?" He eyed his bottle of potion. "I don't know if I want to do the potion now." Blaise sighed softly. "The knife, Hermione. Best to see if it'll work on a so-called pure-blood now." Hermione handed the knife over after a quick scourgify and she took a step back. "Here goes nothing."

Blaise followed the same steps as Hermione and watched as his bloodline formed on the parchment in front of him. "Oh. Oh, this is rich. Mother isn't even fully human. She's part succubus."

Hermione looked up at her friend. "Succubus? Really?"

Blaise grimaced. "It explains a lot actually. A succubus' mate has to be faithful or they'll die a horrible death. They call my mum the Black Widow Dowager."

"Huh. How strange," Hermione shrugged. "Let's turn our research over to the Unspeakables and get out of here."

One of the Unspeakables nodded and a raspy, obviously magic cloaked voice called out, "Your compensation will be deposited into newly opened accounts at Gringotts under your own names. Thank you for this break through. We've been working on something similar, but didn't have anyone with enough background in Arithmancy to work out all the kinks in it."

Blaise gave a short bow to the Unspeakables and guided Hermione out of the room. "There will be mandatory blood testing soon and I think we should see about getting out of the country before it starts. I don't want to see the uproar that this causes. Gather anyone that you think will be really affected and meet me the third day of summer." He kissed her temple and propelled her towards the stairs with a grim smile.

Hermione touched her temple and bolted up the stairs. ' _Best not to wait,_ ' she thought.


End file.
